Blog Tour and Giveaway: Showstoppers, by Helen Smith

Showstoppers, by Helen Smith

“Helen Smith is a master story-teller." Socrates Book Reviews

When twenty-six-year-old Londoner Emily Castles helps out at a local stage school, she’s soon mixed up in murder. She teams up with eccentric philosophy professor Dr. Muriel to solve the case.

This 75-page comic mystery novella will appeal to fans of M C Beaton and Alexander McCall Smith.

Print Length: 48 pages
Publisher: Tyger Books (December 5, 2011)







 
Praise for the Emily Castles Mystery Series
Fast-paced, funny, and mysterious... Helen Smith is a master story-teller.
~Socrates Book Reviews

It grips you from the very beginning.
~Babs Books Bistro

Bright, colorful and full of surprises.
~Amazon Vine Reviewer

Fast-paced and unusual, I highly recommend this one.
~Eva’s Sanctuary


Praise for Helen Smith
Smith is gin-and-tonic funny.
~The Booklist

My Review:
This is the second Emily Castles mystery book.  Three Sisters was the first.

First off, I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than I did the first one.  I think the reason for that is because the mystery starts right from the beginning in this story, where as it took a while for it to get going in the first book.  I also liked the characters a little more, too.  Victoria is funny, self-absorbed, and a little flaky.  She makes me laugh.  

I enjoyed the overlap of some of the characters.  Dr. Muriel returns as a very helpful and amusing sidekick for Emily.  The mention of characters and places from the first book was fun, too.  

I liked the mystery in this book.  It took me a lot longer to guess who the culprit is than in the first book.  I still managed to guess correctly long before the guilty party revealed themselves, but it was fun to have suspicions and doubts about their identity.

There were some typos and spelling mistakes, and those always drive me a bit crazy, but the content was clean, humorous, and fun.  This would definitely be classified as a "light" mystery.  I would read the first book before reading this one, just so you have the background about all the characters.  They aren't very long, so it makes for a nice afternoon read.

Amazon | Goodreads | Shelfari | LibraryThing

About the Author:

Helen Smith is a member of the Writers Guild of Great Britain and English PEN. She travelled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both - from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant - before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel which was published by Gollancz (part of the Hachette Group).

She writes novels, poetry, plays and screenplays and is the recipient of an Arts Council of England Award. She's a long-term supporter of the Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture and mentors members of an exiled writers group to help them tell their stories. She likes knitting but she doesn't like driving. She likes dancing. 


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Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

February 7th
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Interview
FUONLYKNEW - Review
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Cabin Goddess - Review
UK Quality Reads - Review

February 8th
Wall-to-Wall Books - Review
Pieces of Whimsy - Interview
Read Your Writes - Interview
Deborah's Books - Review & Interview
Yellow Hat Writer - Tens List

February 9th
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Books, Books the Magical Fruit - Interview
Crafty Zoo - Guest Post
UK Quality Reads - Review
Martha's Bookshelf - Review

February 10th
Turner's Antics - Review
Bookhounds - Interview
Book Worm Brandy - Review
Deborah's Books - Review
Impressions of a Princess - Interview

February 11th
Getting Your Read On - Review
Booklady's Booknotes - Review
Kelly's Lucky You - Review
Oh, for the Hook of a Book! - Review & Interview
Something to Offer - Review

February 12th
Literarily Speaking - Interview
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
Thoughts n' Such - Review & Interview
Fantasy Books - Review & Interview
Between the Pages - Tens List

February 13th
Must Read Faster - Review
Every Free Chance Book Reviews - Review
Blooding Book Reviews - Interview
Cover2CoverBlog - Review

February 14th
Lori's Reading Corner - Tens List
Musings by Maureen - Review
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review

February 15th
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
The Busy Mom's Daily - Review
Oh, The Books You'll Read! - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review & Guest Post

February 16th
Cuzinlogic - Review & Interview
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review
Indie Author How-to - Tens List

February 17th
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Insane About Books - Review
Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review

February 18th
Karey White - Tens List
Bookworm Lisa - Review

February 19th
Reviewing Shelf - Review & Tens List
Thoughts n' Such - Review
Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
Laurie Here - Review & Guest Post

February 20th
The Busy Mom's Daily - Review
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Fangirl Hostess - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review & Tens List

February 21st
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
Mochas, Mysteries and More - Review
The Polliwog Blog - Review

February 22nd
Why Not? Because I Said So? - Review & Tens List
Fangirl Hostess - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review
Laurie Here - Review
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Blog Tour and Giveaway: Three Sisters, by Helen Smith

Three Sisters, by Helen Smith

Twenty-six-year-old Londoner Emily Castles has been invited to a party in the big house at the end of her street. How could she know, as she left her house that evening, that she was making an appointment with death?

This 70-page comic mystery novella will appeal to fans of M C Beaton and Alexander McCall Smith.

Print Length: 44 pages
Publisher: Tyger Books (February 5, 2011)










Praise for the Emily Castles Mystery Series
Fast-paced, funny, and mysterious... Helen Smith is a master story-teller.
~Socrates Book Reviews

It grips you from the very beginning.
~Babs Books Bistro

Bright, colorful and full of surprises.
~Amazon Vine Reviewer

Fast-paced and unusual, I highly recommend this one.
~Eva’s Sanctuary


Praise for Helen Smith
Smith is gin-and-tonic funny.
~The Booklist

My Review:

While murder mysteries have never been my favorite genre, I did enjoy this short novella.  It was pretty slow in the beginning, but things picked up quickly about half way through.  

I felt like the mystery was a little bit rushed, and a little too obvious (I knew who dunnit right from the start), but I still found it very entertaining.  I appreciated Emily's heartbreak over her dog's passing and laughed at how many times she had to mention it to everyone she met.  The different acts going on at the party were fun and a little comical.  I look forward to reading more of Helen Smith's work.

Amazon | Goodreads | Shelfari | LibraryThing

About the Author:

Helen Smith is a member of the Writers Guild of Great Britain and English PEN. She travelled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both - from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant - before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel which was published by Gollancz (part of the Hachette Group).

She writes novels, poetry, plays and screenplays and is the recipient of an Arts Council of England Award. She's a long-term supporter of the Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture and mentors members of an exiled writers group to help them tell their stories. She likes knitting but she doesn't like driving. She likes dancing. 

Facebook | Twitter | Website

Interview With Helen Smith:

1. What inspired you to write murder mysteries?

I love reading mysteries and so I decided to write a murder mystery series set in present-day London, where I live. I’m really enjoying writing the stories and the characters, and I hope the sense of fun comes through in the book.

2. Where do you get your ideas from?

I often find inspiration in everyday things around me, or in news stories. A lot of ideas start with “what if?”

3. Do you have plans for more Emily mysteries?

Yes. The first full-length Emily Castles mystery, Invitation to Die, will be published by Thomas & Mercer later this year.

4. What are your current projects?

Invitation to Die will be followed by more full-length mysteries in the Emily Castles series, so I’m working on them at the moment. I’m really enjoying writing the books and hope readers will enjoy reading them.

5. Is there anything that you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I don’t really like plotting.

6. How do you respond to a bad review?

I have never had a bad review from a critic but a few people have left nasty reviews on my books on Amazon. I never respond. I try not to look at the 1* and 2* reviews but it’s hard to ignore them if I look at the book’s description page to check the book’s rank or to look at a nice review if someone has left one. I’m always really delighted when a reader leaves a good review for one of my books on Amazon, so I try to concentrate on the positives and think about all the nice people who have told me they have enjoyed my books, and get on with writing the next one.

7. Which authors and writers from history do you admire most?

Charles Dickens, Graham Greene, Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh, Muriel Spark.

8. Which contemporary authors do you admire most?

Peter Carey, Haruki Murakami, David Mitchell, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood.

9. When did you first become interesting in writing?

I loved reading as a child and used to write poetry and stories. I didn’t start writing in earnest as an adult until I was in my late twenties. I won a prize for a short play that was broadcast on the radio. I had sent it off to the playwriting contest somewhat on a whim, the night before the deadline, so I was surprised when they contacted me to tell me I was one of the winners. By then I had started writing my first novel, and I kept on with that until I finished it and got it published.

10. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Just keep at it. You’ll get there. Good luck!

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

February 7th
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Interview
FUONLYKNEW - Review
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Cabin Goddess - Review
UK Quality Reads - Review

February 8th
Wall-to-Wall Books - Review
Pieces of Whimsy - Interview
Read Your Writes - Interview
Deborah's Books - Review & Interview
Yellow Hat Writer - Tens List

February 9th
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Books, Books the Magical Fruit - Interview
Crafty Zoo - Guest Post
UK Quality Reads - Review
Martha's Bookshelf - Review

February 10th
Turner's Antics - Review
Bookhounds - Interview
Book Worm Brandy - Review
Deborah's Books - Review
Impressions of a Princess - Interview

February 11th
Getting Your Read On - Review
Booklady's Booknotes - Review
Kelly's Lucky You - Review
Oh, for the Hook of a Book! - Review & Interview
Something to Offer - Review

February 12th
Literarily Speaking - Interview
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
Thoughts n' Such - Review & Interview
Fantasy Books - Review & Interview
Between the Pages - Tens List

February 13th
Must Read Faster - Review
Every Free Chance Book Reviews - Review
Blooding Book Reviews - Interview
Cover2CoverBlog - Review

February 14th
Lori's Reading Corner - Tens List
Musings by Maureen - Review
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review

February 15th
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
The Busy Mom's Daily - Review
Oh, The Books You'll Read! - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review & Guest Post

February 16th
Cuzinlogic - Review & Interview
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review
Indie Author How-to - Tens List

February 17th
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Insane About Books - Review
Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review

February 18th
Karey White - Tens List
Bookworm Lisa - Review

February 19th
Reviewing Shelf - Review & Tens List
Thoughts n' Such - Review
Christy's Cozy Corners - Review
Laurie Here - Review & Guest Post

February 20th
The Busy Mom's Daily - Review
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Fangirl Hostess - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review & Tens List

February 21st
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
Mochas, Mysteries and More - Review
The Polliwog Blog - Review

February 22nd
Why Not? Because I Said So? - Review & Tens List
Fangirl Hostess - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review
Laurie Here - Review

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Blog Tour: The Immortality Virus by Christine Amsden

Synopsis: 

In the mid-21st century, the human race stopped aging. Those who know why aren't talking, and the few who are brave enough to ask questions tend to disappear. To an elite few, The Change means long life and health, but to the ever-increasing masses, it means starvation, desperation, and violence.

Four centuries after The Change, Grace Harper, a blacklisted P.I., sets off on a mission to find the man responsible for it all and solicit his help to undo The Change -- if he's still alive. To complicate matters, Grace's employer is suspected of murdering his father, and when the police learn of their connection, they give her a choice -- help them find the evidence they need to convict Matthew Stanton, or die. But if they discover Grace's true mission, they won't hesitate to kill her in order to preserve their shot at immortality.

***

This book sort of threw me for a loop. I really expected something different from what I got. Mainly, I think, because the cover confused me. I was always waiting for Grace to find the secret of immortality was locked in the genetic code of a young woman and she had to try to save her from, I dunno, bad guys. It wasn't until after I finished the book and took another look at the cover that I recognized what was going on. (And I'm going to be a bit nit-picky here and say the colors of the guns' rays in the book were yellow for stun and red for kill. I don't recall seeing a blue. Even in this particular fight scene.)

There were parts of the story I thought should have been developed a little more. There were other things that took a little bit more of the story than I thought necessary. However, I think those were just personal preferences. 

I thought Grace was a great protagonist. She was tough and hardened, and yet sensitive and caring when appropriate. She even lamented things that she had to care about, like she couldn't help caring and couldn't stop herself from doing it. More than anything, I thought she was realistic. There were a few mentions of her being beautiful, and she definitely had quite a following of interested parties, but I had a hard time picturing her in my head, which made her a little harder to identify with. I thought the author did a great job making it so that Grace went through some really traumatic stuff; at the time she acted like it was no big deal, but it comes back and haunts her later. I thought that was a great detail.

Alex was a bit of an enigma at first. He was definitely likeable...or was he? In the end I think his character could have used just a bit more development. He was fine, but I think I just wanted more from the leading man that I'm supposed to fall in love with - or at least believe Grace would fall in love with.

The story was exciting. I'm not usually a mystery fan because I get lost in the details. This one had lots of action, and yes it was confusing at times, but it was definitely interesting. I thought the author handled the idea of immortality in a very interesting way. If we all lived forever, there would be massive over-population problems. I also thought it was great how the author showed the passage of time was no big deal for a person who could potentially live forever. Grace worked in the police station mail room for thirty years. Thirty years?! Yeah, well, it's not like she really needed to hurry up and get a promotion.

I really enjoyed the way the author explained certain technology aspects without really explaining them. I didn't feel like I was reading a textbook, but I wasn't lost trying to figure out what a holoset was. There was so much double-crossing that I lost track of who was supposed to be enemies with whom, so that was hard.

The end was a bit jarring, as far as it was left wide open for a sequel and subsequent installments. I'd be interested to find out what happens next but I admit I walked away feeling a little hungry for some closure.

All in all, this wasn't what I expected. It wasn't better, it wasn't worse. It was good. Definitely worth reading for those who enjoy a bit of science fiction and mystery.

Content advisory: semi-heavy language (a lot of instances of mild language, one use of heavy language). Lots of action violence and death, though very little gore. A bit of clean romance; mostly just a growing attraction between two characters.

Barnes & Noble (Paperback and Nook)

Amazon

Kindle 

Excerpt:

“Check him for an ID chip,” McMillan said.

Grace checked both wrists, but didn’t find the tiny metal button that acted both as tag and as a neutral interface for portables. She also did not see any sign that such a chip had been ripped out of his skin by the same people who had stolen his clothing. This man had probably been born on the streets. “Nothing.”

“Good,” McMillan said. He subvocalized an instruction to his portable. It must have opened up a com link because a moment later he said, “Send a cleanup crew to my location beacon…no ID…10-4.”

McMillan turned to Grace. “All right, let’s go.”

“W-wait! Shouldn’t we find out what happened here? Someone murdered this man.”

McMillan actually laughed, a sound that infuriated Grace. He caught a glimpse of her face and the laughter died immediately. “Just like me. I bet I said all the same things my first day. It ain’t fair, is it?”

“So you’re just going to accept it? Accept a man being murdered in the middle of a crowd of witnesses? You’re going to accept not knowing his identity and not letting his family know he’s dead?”

“The cleanup crew will take fingerprints,” McMillan said. “The census gets almost everyone’s fingerprints. If they come up with a contact, they’ll let them know.”

“And if not?” Grace asked.

“Then he’ll join the ranks of the nameless, faceless dead. C’mon, let’s go.”

Grace didn’t move.

“Look, before the day’s out we’ll handle a dozen more like this. We don’t have time to ask questions or take statements. We don’t have time to properly examine the body or the area for clues – most of which have been taken away by other unfortunates.”

It took her a moment to find her voice. When she did, her words dripped out like acid. “Would we have had time if he’d had an ID bracelet?”

“We would not have. We’d have called in the homicide team and they’d decide. Get in the car.”

This time, Grace complied, but she sat in stony silence as McMillan lifted off and began circling the area anew.

“It helps if you don’t think of them as human,” McMillan said after a while. “More than one officer has called this job pest control.”"

About the Author:

Christine Amsden has been writing science fiction and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

When she's not writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing, usually at Savvy Authors. She also offers professional editing services. She maintains a book review blog on her website with occasional writing tips thrown in for the fun of it.

Christine lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and two children.

Contact

http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/

https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsden

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664

 

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

 

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Review: A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

Before Elodie leaves her family forever to journey to Two Castles, her mother warns her never to talk to ogre’s or dragons, and to always beware the whited sepulcher: someone who seems good but is really evil.

But Elodie has other plans in mind. She’s going to be a masioner, an actress. Along the way, however, fate throws a wrench in her plans. When she arrives in Two Castles, she’s too late to be an apprentice. And even if she’d arrived on time, she doesn’t have the money. The little she did have was stolen by an unlikely thief.

Penniless, homeless, and hungry, Elodie must accept the position of Dragon Apprentice to Meenore until she can earn enough to become a masioner’s apprentice. Her first mission is to work inside the castle and discover the villain bent on murdering the ogre, Count Jonty Um. Can she use her powers of deduction to save the Count before it's too late?

--

I enjoy Gail Carson Levine’s work, so I was excited to read A Tale of Two Castles.

There is so much to learn as a reader, which is natural when the author creates their own world. There were times when I was confused and it took me a while to catch on. Other times, the author naturally explains what I need to know.

I thought Elodie was a fantastic character. She used her wits and proved to be not only a gifted actress, but also intelligent and quick. Her mastress, Meenore (only a dragon knows ITs gender) is tough around the edges, but proves IT has a tender heart. And the feared and hated Ogre proves that he’s just misunderstood.

I really enjoyed this middle-grade adventure. While it wasn't my favorite of Levine's work, I think younger readers will really love it!

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins (May 10, 2011)
• Source: Publisher, via NetGalley
• Amazon
• Goodreads

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Review: Gone with a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West

Teeny finally has it together. She’s getting married soon to a handsome, well-to-do man. Nothing could go wrong. Except when she finds her fiancé playing badminton with two women. And they’re all forgot to get dressed. How could it get any worse? Well, her ex-fiancé is found dead a few days later. And she’s the prime suspect. But what do they have besides speculation? Try the fact that she was found at the scene of the murder.

What Teeny needs now is an amazing lawyer and a kitchen. Baking is her therapy and she needs it. At least, she’ll need it if she wants to survive what’s next. Her first love, Cooper, turns out to be the lawyer she needs, and they soon realize that the old flame never died.

With many questions swirling around her head, the most important is: Will Teeny survive or will the murderer finish the job and get Teeny?

--

This is a murder/mystery/comedy/romance/cookbook. Seriously. Complete with (amazing!) recipes in the back. There are a slew of colorful characters that, yes, might be hard to believe, but I think they just add to the spice of the book.

At times it seemed a little slow paced, but it wasn’t so bad I couldn’t just punch through it. I wasn’t totally satisfied with the semi-cliché ending, and I figured out the mystery early on (which I never do!). Overall, I thought the book was well written.

There is heavy language and sexual content.

• Reading Level: Adult
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (April 12, 2011)
• Source: Goodreads FirstReads giveaway
• Amazon
• Goodreads

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